


Sunflower

by KaytlynnSchehl



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Fluffy, M/M, Peter in denial about Tony's feelings, Peter in denial about his feelings, Smut in third chapter, there's a lot of being in denial, this is me in denial about endgame
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-11
Updated: 2018-12-12
Packaged: 2019-09-16 12:31:27
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,164
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16954080
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KaytlynnSchehl/pseuds/KaytlynnSchehl
Summary: Then you're left in the dustUnless I stuck by yaYou're a sunflowerI think your love would be too muchOr you'll be left in the dustUnless I stuck by yaYou're the sunflowerYou're the sunflower





	1. You're A Sunflower

Peter was apprehensive about coming at all, but Pepper had insisted that he’d want to. He could only assume it was about Tony, who was still missing. Peter thought about him all the time, which, arguably, wasn’t much different than before everything happened.

Pepper asked Peter to sit down, but he insisted he didn’t want to. He stayed planted behind the couch, looking at a screen with Tony’s face on it, waiting for Pepper to press play. She looked at him, and he nodded slowly, prepared for whatever was to come.

“This thing on?” Peter smiled fondly for a split second before he remembered that this is probably the last time he’d see Tony.

“Hey, if you find this recording, don’t feel bad about this.”  _ Too late _ , Peter thought. He shifted uncomfortably, grateful that Pepper couldn’t see him.

“Part of the journey is the end.” If Pepper wasn’t right there, if Tony’s  _ wife  _ wasn’t right there, Peter would’ve had a much more hysterical reaction but he reeled his emotions in. Just long enough for this to be over. He could ask Karen to play the video later.

“Just for the record, being adrift in space with zero promise of rescue is more fun than it sounds. Food and water ran out four days ago. Oxygen will run out tomorrow morning and that’ll be it. When I drift off, I will dream of you.” Peter looked away, overcome with emotion and no way to express any of it.

“It’s always you.” The video ends there, leaving Peter an emotional wreck, and he’s so quick to leave the room that Pepper doesn’t even have a chance to speak before he’s gone.

Tony was surely dead. There’s no telling how old that message is and even if he was alive, no one would make the rescue mission. Just Peter.

Webswinging is a lot harder when you’re crying, but it’s the fastest way around and all Peter wants is to go home. He wants Karen to play the video over and over so that he never forgets the way Tony looks or the way his voice sounds. He doesn’t want to forget anything.

Karen eventually just leaves the video on loop, never pausing it and never interrupting. At first, Peter throws things and screams silently, but, then, Peter just lays in his bed, crying until there’s no tears left, looking at Tony’s face and watching the way his lips form the words. Peter fools himself into believing the message is for him.  _ It’s always you _ plays on loop in his head even after he falls into a restless sleep.

Peter wakes in the middle of the night, the video still playing in front of him.

“Karen, who did Mr. Stark send the video to and when?” Peter asks, assuming he knows the answers. What he doesn’t expect is for Karen to say that the video is only a few hours old and that it was originally sent to him.


	2. I Think Your Love Would Be Too Much

Saving Tony was a blur. Peter was guided by his emotion and his denial, almost fooling himself into thinking that he was just doing what was right. Almost. He knew what he was doing, and he had a sneaking suspicion that Shuri did, too. She was the reason Peter had the chance to save Tony at all. She convinced T’Challa, and he convinced everyone else.

Peter didn’t know if the trip to Tony or the trip back to Earth was longer. They both felt like an eternity and a half. He stood out of the way, letting everyone else fuss over him. Peter didn’t leave him until they got back to Wakanda. 

Tony was unconscious for a couple weeks, but very much alive. Peter reminded himself every single day that, no matter what happens, at least Tony is alive.

He sat next to Tony’s bed every chance he had, ignoring the way everyone looked at him. They all looked like they pitied him, but no one knew what he did. No one knew that video was for him. No one knew just how in love Peter was with Tony or how long he had been. No one knew that Peter spent more time here in a day than Pepper did the entire time Tony was in the hospital. They didn’t know a damn thing and yet they all looked at Peter like he was fragile and about to break, and maybe he was but  _ they don’t know _ .

“I’m alive,” is the first thing Peter says when they’re alone in the hospital room.

“I’m still alive, but I’m not okay,” is the first thing he says the second time they’re alone.

“Did you dream of me? Are you still dreaming of me?” Peter almost whispers it, as if someone would hear if he says it normally, even though there’s no one here and it’s the middle of the night.

“I watch your video every day. I’m so afraid you won’t wake up and that that video is all I’ll have left of you. I really don’t want your last words to me to be those ones. I want to hear you say you love me at least once. I need to hear you say it because until you do, I cannot believe that that video is for me.” That’s the last thing Peter says to unconscious Tony in the hospital.

Peter was on his way to see Tony when he ran into Bruce, who mentioned that Tony had finally woken up. After their conversation, Peter made it seem like he was going to see him, but once he was out of eyesight, he went home. He wasn’t ready to face Tony and he didn’t want to crowd him when he knew everyone else would be.

Peter asked Karen for updates on Tony’s condition every spare moment he had, which isn’t often when you have a career saving New York City. Peter didn’t even get a ‘day off’ until he had to force himself to stay home. Usually he doesn’t have to worry about being sick, but he still gets migraines and this time he knew he couldn’t just deal with it.

The pain was just starting to dull when there was a knock at his door. He groaned and rolled over, hoping that whoever it was would just fuck off. The knocking didn’t stop though, just became louder and more persistent.

Peter didn’t expect to see Tony at the door. In fact, he had thought that Tony was still on bedrest, yet here he was looking like nothing had happened. Peter didn’t know whether to punch him or hug him or kiss him, so he just stood there.

Tony looked him over, noticing the aged Avengers themed pyjama pants, and smiled fondly. Peter swung the door open wider so that Tony could come in, but he didn’t know what to do beyond that. What do you do when you die in someone’s arms, and then save them from outer space?


End file.
